Mobility enhancement device for attachment to foot or footwear

Abstract

A mobility enhancement device has an elongate strap of flexible material and a slide member having an inner face secured to a first surface of the strap and an outer smooth surface configured for sliding engagement with a floor surface. The strap is secured in a loop about a user's foot or footwear with releasable fastener devices associated with opposite end portions of the strap secured together and the slide member positioned to face downward from a ventral region of the sole of the foot or footwear so that the outer smooth surface is positioned for sliding engagement with a floor surface during ambulation or transfer.

We claim: 
     
       1. A propulsion mobility enhancement device, comprising:
 an elongate strap of flexible material placed over the exterior of a user's footwear having opposite first and second surfaces and opposite first and second ends, wherein the first surface is outwardly facing towards a floor when worn by a wearer, and the second surface is inwardly facing towards a wearer's foot when worn by the wearer; a rigid slide member which is engaged only along a ventral region of the exterior sole of the footwear having a slide surface inner face secured to the outwardly facing first surface of the strap and a slide surface outer face configured for direct propulsive sliding engagement for sliding across a smooth or carpeted floor, and, wherein the slide member outer face further comprises a slick coating which forms a glide surface; and first and second releasable mateable fastener devices associated with the strap and configured for releasable mating engagement to secure the strap in a loop around the exterior of a user's footwear such that the loop positions the slide member along the ventral region along the exterior sole of the footwear with the slide member facing outwardly from the ventral region of the sole of the footwear. 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the slide member has a flat outer slide surface for sliding on a floor. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the slide member has a convex outer slide surface for sliding on a floor. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 3 , wherein the outer surface is part-spherical. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the inner face of the slide member is flat. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the slide member is plastic or metal. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the slide member is secured to the strap at a location spaced from the first and second ends of the strap. 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 7 , wherein the slide member is secured at a central position on the strap. 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the strap is of elasticated, extendable material. 
     
     
       10. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first fastener device comprises a strip of fastener material secured to the first surface of the strap adjacent the first end of the strap, and the second fastener device comprises a strip of fastener material secured to the second surface of the strap adjacent the second end of the strap, one of the strips comprising hook type fastener material and the other strip comprising mating loop type fastener material. 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 1  wherein the slide member has a circular peripheral edge. 
     
     
       12. A method of attaching a slide member to the sole of a patient's foot for enhancing propulsion mobility, comprising:
 positioning a strap over the exterior of a user's footwear, wherein the strap is comprised of flexible material having opposite first and second surfaces and opposite first and second ends, wherein the first surface is outwardly facing towards a floor when worn by a wearer, and the second surface is inwardly facing towards the wearer's foot when worn by the wearer, wherein the strap is positioned in a loop around the exterior of a user's footwear such that the loop positions a rigid slide member along the ventral region along the exterior sole of the footwear and such that a slide member is secured only in the ventral region of the sole of the footwear; the slide member having a slide surface inner face secured to the outwardly facing first surface of the strap and a slide surface outer face configured for direct propulsive sliding engagement for sliding across a smooth or carpeted floor, wherein, the slide member outer face further comprises a slick coating which forms a glide surface, is secured to the strap and located in the ventral region along the sole of the footwear where the patient's weight is distributed at the start of propulsion, with a smooth outer slide surface of the slide member facing outwards from the sole of the footwear; and 
 securing opposite ends of the strap together to releasably fasten the slide member to the footwear; whereby the foot can be moved or rotated on a smooth floor surface using the slide member without lifting the foot from the floor surface to improve patient ambulation. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the slide member is located in a central region of the strap, and the step of positioning the strap in a loop comprises positioning the central region of the strap to extend across the sole of the footwear and extending opposite ends of the strap over the top of the footwear, and securing opposite ends of the strap over the top of the footwear.